Pincer type tool with securing means



Aug. 3, 1965 BOURDIER 3,197,865

FINGER TYPE TOOL WITH SECURING MEANS Filed Dec. 12, 1963 1M2 A l-1,4

4m @M/M w ,4 frat 7s ,ter disks.

PINCER TYPE TOUL WITH SECURING MEAN Lucien Bourdier, 8 Rue des Carrieres, Charenton, France Filed Dec. 12, I963, Ser. No. 330,022 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 19, 1962,

9 137 7 Claims. ion. 30-91 mined fixed angular relation, e.g. throughout a working process of some duration or in performing similar operations on a number of different articles of work. It is an object of this invention to provide improved, simple and etfective mechanism for thus securing a tool of the a class described. Another object is to provide such mechanism whereby the tool will be positively limited against opening movement but not against closing movement of its interpivoted members.

The invention has especial though not exclusive utility when applied to a pincers tool disclosed in my French Patent No. 1,289,445, serving to strip insulation off electrical conductors and cables, and for similar operations. In a tool of that kind, one of the interpivoted members is provided with one or more cutter disks and the other member carries backing rollers cooperating with the cut- By inserting an insulated cable between the cutter disks and rollers in an appropriate direction, a Cir cumferential or a longitudinal cut-depending on the "dire-ction of insertion of the conductor into the tool.can he easily and quickly made in the insulation, and the cutoff portion of insulation thereafter readily removed from j the cable.

A specific object of this invention is to provide an im- It proved insulation-stripping tool of the type disclosed in -rny said French patent, in which the jaws of the tool can be secured or limited against mutual separation beyond a selected angular relationship, whereby greatly to facilitatethe use of the tool. Withanimproved stripping tool provided with the securing or limiting means of the present invention, the tool can first be clamped around :the insulated cable so as-to cause the cutter to penetrate to a selected depth into the insulation or covering thereof, and then the securing mechanism can be actuated to prevent any separating movement of the jaws. The cable can then be manipulated as required, i.e. pulled longitudinally and/or rotated relatively to the cutter, without having to maintain manual pressure on the" interpivoted members of the tool. A more uniform incision can thus be made, muscular fatigue 'is diminished and stripping operations are performed more quickly and effectively.

The securing or limiting means of the invention may comprise an inclined surface formed on one of the inter- .pivoted members concentric with the pivot axis, for cooperation With adjustable means having a complementary inclined surface, carried by the other of said members, for

limiting the extent to which said members mayhave rela- .tive movement in the jaw-opening direction.

The novel features of the invention will be readily understood from the ensuing description of an exemplary 3 embodiment given by way of illustration but not of limitation and with reference to the accompanying drawings, -wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an insulation stripping tool provided with the improvement of the invention.

United States Patent Patented Aug. 3, 1965 FIGURE 2 is a partial plan view of the region of the tool surrounding the pivot.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are similar to FIGURE 2 but each respectively illustrating only one of the members of the tool.

FIGURE 5 is a section on line VV of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a limiting insert.

The drawings illustrate a stripping tool comprising a pair of crossed interpivoted members 1 and 2. Each member, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, includes a central disk-like hub 3 and 4, respectively, with opposite handle and jaw portions projecting in generally parallel relationship in opposite directions from diametrically opposed regions of the hub, as will be apparent from those figures. The hubs 3 and 4 have fiat mat-ingsurfaces adapted to lie in mutual rotational engagement. In the hub 4 of member 2 (FIGURE 3) there is formed a central hole 6, and from the center of the hub 3 of member 1 (FIGURE 4) there projects a pivot stud 5 which extends into .and through the hole 6 when the mating facesof the hubs are in engagement. The projecting end of pivot 5 carries a spring retainer clamp 7 (see FIGURE 1) holding both members of the tool in interpivoted assembled relation.

As shown in FIGURE 1 each of the members 1 and 2 has an handle portion extending to one side from the pivot and a jaw extending from the opposite side of the pivot, with the corresponding portions of the respective members positioned in crossed relation as between one and the opposite side of the pivot. The handle portions of both members 1 and 2 are formed with outwardly jutting ends 18 to oppose slipping of the operators fingers during use, 7 and moreover the handle of member 2 is provided with a finger-grip ring portion 19.

The jaw of member 2 is provided with cutter disks 12 and 13 and the jaw of member 1 is provided-with backing rollers 8 and 9. First referring in detail to these backing rollers, there is provided a first roller 8 of flat cylindrical shape rotatably mounted on a pivot pin 10 secured in member 1; A second roller 9 is rotatably mounted on a pivot pin 11 secured in member 1 some distance along the length of the member away from pivot pin 10, and roller 9 includes a first roller part 9a which is flat cylindrical similar to roller 8 and positionedad'ajce'nt to and in the same general plane as roller 8, and another roller part 9b which may be integral with part 9a, roller 9 being generally spool shaped.

The cutters carried by member 2 include a first diskshaped cutter 12 rotatably mounted on a pin 14 and positioned substantially in the common median plane of roller 8 and roller part 9a and in an intermediateposition therebetween so as to cooperate with the intervening space between rollers 8 and 9a. The second cutter disk 16 is rotatably mounted on a pin 15 which is positioned along member 2 at a position corresponding to that of the pivot 11 along the member 1, and the cutter 13 is supported on its pin 15 by means of spacers such as 16, at an axial position such as to cooperate with the reduced diameter part of the spool-shaped roller portion 9b.

between rollers 8 and 9 on member 1, and the member 2 can then be pivoted towards member 1 so as to bring cutter disk 12 into engagement with the insulation of the cable. By rotating the cable about its own axis, a circumferential incision can he made in the insulation so roller portion 9b, and the member 2 can then be pivoted to engage cutter disk 13 with the insulation of the cable. The cable can then be pulled lognitudinally so as to cause the cutter disk 13 to cut a straight longitudinal incision in the insulation. V

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for limiting the degree of opening between the jaws of members 1 and 2 to a selected angle.

A stud 20 has a screw threaded lower end screwed into a blind tapping formed in the surface of hub 3 of member 1, at a radial position somewhat short of the periphery of the hub as shown e.g. in FIGURE 4. The stud 20 extends into and through a slot 21 of arcuate shape formed in a corresponding position in the hub 4 of member 2, said slot having an arcuate midline concentric with the pivot interconnecting both hubs 3 and 4. Slot 21 has a raised peripheral rim 22 surrounding it, and the outer surface of this rim constitutes a ramp sloping upward in the direction indicated by arrow 1 in FIGURE 3. stud 20 in its part projecting above the face of the hub 3 in which it is threadedly secured, has a flatted side, and a perforate washer-like insert 23 having a perforation formed with a shape complementary to that ofthe stud 2%, with a flatted side wall 23a, is received around the part of stud 20 projecting above' the mm 22. The insert 23, as clearly shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, has a sloping under face 23b corresponding in slope to that of the ramp defined by rim 22, so that when the insert 23 is received around stud'2t) with its sloping under surface 23b engaging said rim 22, the flat upper face 230 of the insert lies in a plane normal to the axis of the stud 2%. A limiting knob 26 has an internally threaded sleeve 25' extending axially from it and engageable with a threaded projecting end part 24 of the stud 20, so that rotation of the knob 26 will be capable of clamping the insert 23 against the sloping rim 22. it will be evident from FIGURES 1 and 5 that the two members 1 and 2 can still be pivoted in a jaw closing direction relative to one another, since such motion will urge stud and insert 23 in a direction (rightward in FIGURE 5) relative to rim 22 in which relative movement is permitted owing to the downward slope of ramp or rim 22, but that relative movement of the members in the reverse, jaw opening, sense will be positively prevented by the rising slop of the rim 22. V I

In the operation of the improved stripping tool, when desired to make a circular incision or cut in the insulation of a cable, the cable is inserted into the nip between rollers 8 and 9 as earlier described and the jaws of members 1 and 2 are pivoted towards each other until the cutter disk 12 has penetrated a desired depth into the insulating material. Knob 26 is then rotated in a securing direction and acts by way of threaded sleeve and insert 23 on the rim 22 to prevent thereafter any relative movement of members 1 and 2 away from each other i.e. in the opening direction of the tool. The operator can therefore release his finger pressure on the rearwardly extending or handle portions of the members 1 and 2 and rotate the cable about its axis to present all the points of its circumference to cutter 12 which will thus cut the desired circular incision in the insulating sheath of the cable. Backing the knob 26 will permit opening the tool to release the cable.

Similarly, in order to make a longitudinal incision, the cable is placed in the depression of spool 921 member 2 is pivoted to engage longitudinal cutter 13 into the insulating sheath to a selected depth, knob 26 is actuated to secure the jaws in this position against opening movement,

and the cable can then be pulled longitudinally relatively In such clamped condition,

The

. i to the cutter 13 which will thus cut the desired longitudinal incision.

It will be noted that in either case the secured condition of the mechanism will not prevent increasing the cutter pressure into the work should this be desired at any time during a cutting process, since the members 1 and 2 remain free to pivot towards each other if increased manual pressure is applied to their handles, as earlier described. Thus the operator retains the possibility of adjusting the cutting pressure during the process.

It is noted that the arcuate or circumferential length of the slot 21 is provided long enough to ensure that a desired wide range of tool opening angles remains available. It should further be noted that the slope of ramp 22 and the lower face of insert 23 should be selected high enough to provide the desired positive limiting action against backing movement, while not being so great that the motion transmission therethrough becomes reversible so that rotation of knob 26 in the securing direction would be liable to impart unwanted relative movement to the members, through relative displacement between the mating surfaces of rim 22 and insert 23.

It will be evident that the invention may be modified in various ways so as to'depart from the single illustrative example here disclosed, and that it may be applied to a variety of tools other than the insulation-stripper tool here shown, provided such tools are of the type having interpivoted members as earlier specified.

What I claim is:

1. A tool including a pair of crossed interpivoted mem bers having forwardly extending jaws adapted to engage work therebetween, and securing means engaging both members and movable between a limiting position in which said members are limited against relative movement in an opening direction while remaining freely relatively movable in alclosing direction, and a release position in which said members are released for free relative move ment in both directions, including means for moving the securing means between its said positions, said securing means comprising an arcuate slot in one of said members generally concentric with the pivot axis of said members, a pin projecting from the other member into. and through said slot, an upstanding rim surrounding said slot and sloping downwardly in an arcuate direction towards that end of the slot which is foremost when said one member is moved in an opening direction relative to the other member, an element carried by said pin and engageable with said sloping rim surface, and means for clamping hub threadedly engageable with a threaded end portion of said pin and with the end surface of said hub engageable with said element.

4. A tool for stripping insulated cables and the like comprising a pair of crossed interpivoted members having forwardlyextending jaws, a first cutter disk rotatably mounted on one of saidjaws about an axis parallel to the interpivot axis, first backing means carried by the other jaw in a position to receive a cable therein extending generally parallel to said interpivot axis so as'to be engageable by said first cutter disk for cutting a transverse circumferential incision therein, a second cutter disk rotatably mounted on one of said jaws about an axis parallel to said interpivotal axis and second backing means carried by the other jaw in a position to receive a cable therein extending generally orthogonal to said interpivot axis so as to be engageable by said second cutter disk for cutting a longitudinal straightincision therein, and secur ing means engaging both said members and movable 3 between a limiting position in which relative movement of the members is prevented in at least that direction which corresponds to opening of said jaws and a release position, and means for moving the securing means between its positions.

5. The tool claimed in claim 4 wherein said securing means comprises an arcuate slot in one of said members generally concentric with the pivot axis of said members, a pin projecting from the other member into and through said slot, an upstanding rim surrounding said slot and 10 sloping downwardly in an arcuate direction towards that end of the slot which is foremost when said one member is pivoted in an opening direction relative to the other member, an element carried by said pin and engageable With said sloping rim surface, and means for clamping said element into firm engagement with said surface.

6. The tool claimed in claim 5 wherein said element comprises a washer-like insert receivable around said pin and having a sloping under surface mating with said sloping rim surface and a fiat upper surface engageable by said clamping means.

7. The tool claimed in claim 5 wherein said clamping means comprises a knob having an internally threaded hub threadedly engageable with a threaded end portion of said pin and with the end surface of said hub engageable with said element References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 927,345 7/09 Furlong.

988,656 4/11 Peck 81334 1,289,381 12/ 18 Brumfield. 2,513,401 7/50 Coles 81-335 2,701,487 2/ 55 Ortman 81331 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,123,431 6/56 France. 1,289,445 2/ 62 France.

960,367 3/57 Germany.

792,605 4/ 5 8 Great Britain. 

1. A TOOL INCLUDING A PAIR OF CROSSED INTERPIVOTED MEMBERS HAVING FORWARDLY EXTENDING JAWS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WORK THEREBETWEEN, AND SECUREING MEANS ENGAGING BOTH MEMBERS AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A LIMITING POSITION IN WHICH SAID MEMBERS ARE LIMITED AGAINST RELATIVE MOVEMENT IN AN OPENING DIRECTION WHILE REMAINING FREELY RELATIVELY MOVABLE IN A CLOSING DIRECTION, AND A RELEASE POSITION IN WHICH SAID MEMBERS ARE RELEASED FOR FREE RELATIVE MOVEMENT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, INCLUDING MEANS FOR MOVING THE SECURING MEANS BETWEEN ITS SAID POSITIONS, SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING AN ARCUATE SLOT IN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS GENERALLY CONCENTRIC WITH THE PIVOT AXIS OF SAID MEMBERS, A PIN PROJECTING FROM THE OTHER MEMBER INTO AND THROUGH SAID SLOT, AN UPSTANDING RIM SURROUDING SAID SLOT AND SLOPINUG DOWNWARDLY IN AN ARCUATE DIRECTION TOWARDS THAT 